Philip Bailey, Kentucky Public Radio

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3:57pm

All Politics are Local

In their first joint appearance of the 2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Democratic Governor Steve Beshear and Republican state Senate President David Williams traded barbs on a range of issues at a forum Wednesday. The Kentucky Farm Bureau hosted the discussion, which covered a number of topics such as agriculture, tax and education policy, along with federal regulations and expanded gaming.

11:37am

All Politics are Local

The Kentucky Farm Bureau will host Democratic Governor Steve Beshear and Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams at a forum this Wednesday in Louisville. It will be the candidates’ first joint appearance since winning their respective nominations in the race for governor. The forum is being promoted as a dialogue where the two will share their visions for state agricultural interests. Board members will ask Beshear and Williams questions, but organizers have stressed this is not a debate.

2:13pm

All Politics are Local

Appearing on MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” Thursday, Congressman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., praised President Barack Obama’s work on the debt ceiling talks while criticizing Republican congressional leaders for being irresponsible during the negotiations as the federal government faces default on the August 2 deadline. Joined by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ., Yarmuth blasted House GOP Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., for being reckless with his language and encouraging Tea Party members of the Republican conference to reject any proposal to raise the debt limit.

10:36am

All Politics are Local

The campaign manager for independent gubernatorial Gatewood Galbraith has resigned. Blogger and political activist Ralph Long announced Friday he is leaving the campaign to pursue other interests, but he remains a supporter of the perennial candidate and running mate Dea Riley. “I may work in other political campaigns at some future date but there are no definite plans at this time,” he told Kentucky Public Radio via e-mail.

3:58pm

All Politics are Local

After denouncing the State Board of Elections for telling county clerks to approve voter registration cards that have “homeless” listed under the address, Republican Secretary of State candidate Bill Johnson has filed an ethics complaint Thursday against the panel and Secretary of State Elaine Walker.Last week, the Todd County businessman called on Walker to resign and has made the issue of homeless voters a centerpiece of his campaign against Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, who supports the right of the homeless to list “place-to-place” under the address portion of the application.

11:14am

All Politics are Local

Speaking to WHAS-AM radio personality Mandy Connell on Wednesday morning, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., defended his proposal to give President Barack Obama unilateral authority to raise the debt ceiling even if party leaders can’t agree on ways to reduce the debt moving forward. McConnell’s proposal gives the president the power to request increases of up to $2.5 trillion in three separate installments over the next year if they are coupled with larger spending cuts.

3:54pm

All Politics are Local

Focusing solely on his third presidential bid, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tx., announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election for a 13th term in the House of Representatives. Observers contend Paul, who is the father of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is an excellent fundraiser who would have easily retained his seat despite redistricting, but the 75-year-old congressman felt it was time to move on and put his energy into one last bid for the White House.

4:14pm

The Commonwealth

The mayor of Bowling Green, Kentucky believes the two Iraqi nationals being held in his city on terrorism charges are secure and American courts can handle terror suspects. On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in a letter that the decision to treat Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi as civilian defendants in federal court was “ill-advised.” However, the city commissioners disagreed and voted by a three-to-two margin against a resolution asking Holder to move the trial.

3:55pm

All Politics are Local

Calling the report a “whitewash”, the campaign manager for independent gubernatorial candidate Gatewood Galbraith believes the audit of the Kentucky Retirement Systems leaves more questions unanswered. On Tuesday, State Auditor Crit Luallen found no evidence of wrongdoing in the retirement agency, but did raise concerns about the use of placement agents, who act as middlemen to secure investments from entities like the KRS. The report found New York placement agent Glen Sergeon had “an unusually close working relationship” with former KRS chief investment officer Adam Tosh, who resigned last summer.

6:01am

All Politics are Local

For the 131st annual Fancy Farm picnic, organizers have plucked longtime Democratic Marshall County Judge Executive Mike Millerto host the event, which marks the unofficial start of the Kentucky general election this fall. The Graves County sideshow is scheduled for August 6 and is expected to be heavily attended due to the 2011 gubernatorial race between Democratic incumbent Steve Beshear and Republican challenger David Williams, but candidates in other statewide races have also been invited.

2:09pm

All Politics are Local

Candidates in the 2011 Kentucky gubernatorial race all agree religion shouldn’t play a role in the campaign, but that doesn’t mean former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson’s Jewish heritage won’t be an issue in rural parts of the commonwealth. With Kentucky’s Jewish population less than one percent, anti-Semitic sentiments in the state have been whispered behind the scenes as a potential handicap for the lieutenant governor candidate, who is running with Democratic Governor Steve Beshear in the fall election.

2:04pm

All Politics are Local

Flexing their fundraising muscles, the campaign to re-elect Democratic Governor Steve Beshear announced it has raised $1.5 million for the general election, giving the incumbent a comfortable war chest in the contest against Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams and independent Gatewood Galbraith.

5:48am

All Politics are Local

A day after his Republican opponent charged he lacked the courage to do so, Democratic Governor Steve Beshear has issued a statement calling for the two Iraqi nationals facing terrorism charges to be sent out of Kentucky. On Wednesday, state Senate President David Williams challenged Beshear and House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, to join him and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky,, who initially demanded Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi be sent to the controversial military base to be tried as enemy combatants.

1:30pm

The Commonwealth

Paying for vital upgrades, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., announced that the Louisville International Airport is receiving $6.6 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for a new construction project. The federal funds will go toward completing work on the Taxiway Alpha project, which is designed to ensure the terminal can handle the largest and newest long-range commercial and passenger aircraft.

4:23pm

All Politics are Local

A former campaign volunteer for U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., entered an Alford Plea in the case that he assaulted a liberal activist during last year’s general election. Bourbon County resident Tim Profitt was accused of wrestling MoveOn.org activist Lauren Valle to the ground before stepping on her neck and head outside the Kentucky Educational Television studios. Profitt said he thought the 23-year-old activist was trying to attack then-candidate Paul, who was headed to a debate with Attorney General Jack Conway.

11:45am

All Politics are Local

Returning from a week-long visit to the Middle East, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., met with leaders from the region and believes there’s a mix of optimism and anxiety across different countries. The congressman was joined by four other Democratic colleagues during the overseas trip and made stops in Jordan, Israel and the West Bank to hear from leaders and citizens who are seeking peace. The group sat down with Egypt’s foreign minister and the Palestinian prime minister to discuss U.S. involvement in the region.

11:45am

All Politics are Local

Handicapping the so-called “golf summit” between President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner, GOLF Magazine encouraged the commander-in-chief to get tips from U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., who is an avid and skillful amateur. The social outing was initially thought to be an attempt to cool tensions in Washington, but both sides have said no agreement on the federal budget will come as a result of the friendly game.

11:43am

All Politics are Local

In the first poll of the 2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Democratic Governor Steve Beshear holds a strong 21-point lead over Republican challenger and state Senate President David Williams. During the primary campaign, early polls showed Williams trailing the governor by a smaller margin, but since then Beshear has launched a number of radio and television advertisements and observers had been highlighting the GOP nominees high negatives.

2:00pm

All Politics are Local

In a statement released on his campaign website, U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Ky., accuses Republican Andy Barr of supporting a “radical agenda to end Medicare” as a way to balance the federal budget. Barr announced his candidacy earlier today, setting up a potential rematch between the 37-year-old Lexington attorney and three-term incumbent. In 2010, Barr came within 648 votes of unseating Chandler in a political nail biter.

1:57pm

All Politics are Local

After losing by less than 700 votes in last year’s general election, Republican Andy Barr will challenge Democratic Congressman Ben Chandler again in 2012. The 37-year-old Lexington attorney is a rising star in the Kentucky GOP ranks and surprised political observers by coming within a razor-thin margin of beating Chandler, a popular incumbent and grandson of a former governor.

10:00am

All Politics are Local

In an interview with conservative talk radio host Bill Bennett Tuesday, Kentucky Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams endorsed the controversial steps taken by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker as necessary measures given the state’s labor union laws. During the discussion, Williams was asked which governors he admired most and named Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. The question turned to the recent actions taken by Walker, who was embroiled in a fight with labor unions earlier this year after a vote successfully curtailed public employee bargaining rights as a way to balance the Wisconsin state budget.

3:00pm

All Politics are Local

A group of wealthy Americans are marking the ten-year anniversary of the tax cuts signed into law by former President George W. Bush by calling for an end to the reductions for people making over $1 million. The group Patriotic Millionaires sent a video message to members of Congress Tuesday asking lawmakers to raise their taxes in order to help reduce the deficit. But Republican leaders have said any discussion about tax increases are a non-starter and Democratic support for the break has been solid.

11:11am

All Politics are Local

Reminding voters he cut his own salary and over a $1 billion in spending to balance the state’s budget, Democratic Governor Stever Beshear has unveiled a second television advertisement in his re-election bid against Republican state Senate President David Williams. Entitled “Leading by example”, the 30-second commercial began airing statewide Monday, and highlights cost-cutting measures the governor has advocated during the national recession.

12:14pm

All Politics are Local

After being criticized in a New York Times editorial for crossing the church-state divide, the controversial Ark Encounter has a supporter in state Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, who is proud the park is being built in his district.